Vegas Without Princess

I thought this day would never come!  After months of preparation, my hubby and I were able to head to Vegas without Princess.  I knew it would be tough.  I went through so many emotions leading up to our departure.  I was super happy to be finally getting away.  There was a lot going on with work, and I felt like it was time for a break.  But, I was also feeling guilt, anxiety, and sadness.  All these emotions running through me made leaving so difficult.

As I mentioned in my Getaway Dilemma post, I had to put a plan into motion before our trip to make transitioning easier.  It included:


1.  Rather than spend half the night in her bed, I'll work my way back into mine full time. 
Working my way back into my own bed full time didn't quite work out the way I thought it would. Every time I'd get up to leave, Princess would wrap her arms around my neck. She'd do this in her sleep!

2.  She'll be spending more time at Grandma's house on the weekends.

Grandma usually picks her up from daycare everyday.  Spending more time with her on the weekends made things a lot easier.  

3.  Princess has never spent the night anywhere else, but it's time to give that a try too.  I'll also have her spend a few nights at Grandma's.

The hubs and I got some baby free time.  I'd pack her overnight bag and send her off to grandmas for the night.  She cried nonstop the first time, but eventually got over it.

4.  We'll have all of her favorite snacks, toys, and other essentials handy.  It's not exactly the same as our home, but it'll be close enough.

Princess had all her toys handy at Grandma's.  But, being able to watch her shows was a saving grace.  Thanks goodness for Nick Jr.

5.  She's been doing ok with regular milk.  Even though it won't be the same as laying next to mommy, I'll pump a few bottles in case of an emergency. 

Princess has always been a bit fickled when it comes to drinking regular milk.  I went back to pumping temporarily.  Having an emergency stash of breast milk would be key in getting Princess to sleep through the night.

6.  Face time!  Since we won't be there in the flesh, at least we can't see and chat via phone!

We took advantage of facetime during her overnight trips at grandma.  Princess had a tough time being away from mommy and daddy in the beginning.  But, we got through it with the help of our iphones.

As you can tell, I had all my ducks in a row.  I was super organized and prepared.  But, I wasn't prepared for how I'd feel.  I took an extra day off to pack and spend a little more time with Princess.  I explained to her that she'll be spending some time with grandma and auntie, as I'd always done for her weekend visits.  That's when I started feeling sad.  It was Mothers Day weekend and I'd be spending it without my baby.  I thought I was about to lose it, but I kept my composure.  My hubby kept saying she'll be fine.  I knew she'll be fine.  I was just having a little separation anxiety.  Spending the night away from her was a breeze.  It was just hard to imagine being away from her for four days and three nights.  


My mom also kept assuring me that Princess would be in good hands.  "I know she'll be be in good hands," I'd say.  For the record, it's not that I was worried about her safety.  I knew that my baby girl would be ok.  You have to understand that I haven't never been away from her for so long.  

We got everything packed, loaded, and we were off to our adventure.  Princess was safely at Grandma's and we were on our way to Sin City.  It was a pretty long flight and the time change made it feel even longer.  But, it was worth it.  This place more than exceed our expectations.  

By the time we'd gotten there, I'd gotten over my anxiety about leaving Princess behind.  The feeling briefly came back once I saw kids of all ages there.  My hubby quickly put things into perspective when he asked, 
"Would we have been able to see this show with her?"


He was right.  There was  no way we would have been able to hit up the casinos, and see the shows.  The time change alone would have been crazy.  We knew we made the right decision.  I saw so many tots around her age, and wondered how in the world the parents were able to fully enjoy Vegas with littles one around.  Being the inquisitive person I am, I asked.  


As I was getting ready to leave the spa, I saw a young lady scheduling an appointment.  She had her one year old son in tow.  I didn't want to just blurt out the question, so I started out by complimenting how adorable he was to break the ice.  Then I asked,


"How has your stay been so far?" I asked.
"Fine," she said.
"How are you able to enjoy Vegas with a baby?" I asked
When she didn't respond right away I added, "We have a one year old too, and thought of taking her.  But, we weren't sure if Vegas was kid friendly place."
The then she replied, "My mom is here with us.  So, she stays with him while we go out."


Talking to this lady confirmed once again that we made the right decision.  I would feel bad having my mom stay in the hotel with Princess.  I think it is possible to bring kids along.  But, you'd have to taylor your trip to make it a bit more kid friendly.  Even though there were some things I know Princess would enjoy, I still felt she was way too young to bring on this trip.  In the end, my hubby and I were able to enjoy some much needed alone time.  Princess has always been a ball of fun, and full of energy.  But, this wasn't the place for her.


We checked in with my mom every day to make sure every thing was ok.  Princess got a chance to hang out with Grandma, Aunt Tiff, Auntie Sophia, Uncle Steve, and her cousins.  I could tell she had a blast.  


This turned out to be the best Mothers Day ever, even though I spent it without her.  We made up for it, when we got back.


Have you ever went on vacation without your kids?


Weather Anchor Mama

A Mothers Day Weekend in Vegas

Who would have thought that I'd be selected- out of gosh knows how many people- to win Spa Week's Escape to Vdara Giveaway!  All I did was put my name in a jar at a Spa Week event. Being the skeptic that I am I asked the lady manning the booth,

 "Is this for real?  Does anyone ever win?"
 "Yes.  You never know.  It doesn't hurt to try," she responded.

What the heck? She was right. I might as well give it a shot. Besides, it didn't cost me a dime to throw my name in the hat among hundreds, if not thousands of people that night. Fast forward two weeks later and I get a call from some lady claiming that I won a trip to Vegas.  I chalked it up to one of the many bogus calls I usually get about winning a cruise some where.  I almost hung up the phone.  But, then she said something that triggered a memory from that night.

"Yeah right.  How much does it cost?" I asked.
"Nothing! You won! I remember you. I was the one who took all your info at Spa Week," she said.

It took a little bit more convincing, but I eventually realized that this thing was legit.  My skepticism grew into pure excitement.  I couldn't wait to tell my hubby.  I knew that he wouldn't be excited  about the idea of going to a spa.  The only time he's ever had a message was on our honeymoon.  He said that would be the last one he'd ever get.

But, this is Vegas baby!  Spa or no spa, he was totally down for this vacation.  The major hurtle we had to overcome was deciding whether or not to bring Princess along.  We ultimately chose to make this a baby-free vacation.  I can't say it was easy to leave her behind, but I'll chat more about that in a later post.

I had up to a year to fulfill the prize which included a three night stay in a penthouse suite, a spa and salon credit, a dining voucher, and limousine transportation to and from the hotel.  We booked our spa retreat for Mothers Day weekend which worked out perfectly.

I've never been to Vegas before.  But when I think of Sin City, a scene from The Hangover comes to mind.  Thoughts of a bunch of guys at a bachelor party getting wasted, followed by a bunch of other crazy events.  Basically, I was totally clueless and didn't know what to expect.  As it turns out, Vegas is a beautiful city with so much more to offer than just casinos and booze.  Check out the scenery from our penthouse suite.

If you think the view outside is cool, check out the view inside.

It was our first time in Vegas and staying in a penthouse suite was also a first for us. This alone would have been enough. But, there was so much more to enjoy. The first thing on the agenda after checking in was to grab a bite to eat, and hit up the casinos. Being novice gamblers, we played it smart and went over to the slot machines.  I did pretty well in the beginning.  But I should have walked away when I was up.  I ended up losing my money.

 I had my spa appointment the next morning and we were famished from a long day of traveling. So, we made it an early night.

Our stay at this point was absolutely amazing.  But, visiting Vdara Spa and Salon completely took my breath away.  I was scheduled to have a message, facial, and brow wax.  I also got a chance to enjoy the other great amenities the spa had to offer.  I rotated between the stream room, sauna, jacuzzi, and relaxation room the entire day.  In fact, I loved it so much that I return the following day for another round.  I even talked my hubby into coming along.  They don't normally allow picture taking.  But, my tour guide said that it was ok to snap these pics.

From gambling to pampering, the fun didn't stop there.  We got a chance to see "O" Cirque du Soleil, and a variety show.  We weren't allowed to take pics during the show.  My hubby snapped this one after leaving one of the performances.

We also spent some time touring the neighboring hotels, and the fabulous Vegas strip.

When it came to satisfying our pallets, there were tons of different restaurants to choose from.  Being the foodie that I am, I wanted to try different cuisines.  The Japanese restaurant, Blossom, was definitely one of our favorites.

Our first trip to Vegas was a blast!  We were able to fit a lot of activities in during our three night stay.  We'd definitely love to return, and explore more of what Sin City has to offer.

Thank goodness I put my name in that jar at Spa Week, and I thank my lucky stars for not hanging up the phone.

Big up to Vdara Spa and Salon for sponsoring our hotel stay.  A special shout out goes out to Spa Week for hosting the giveaway.

Weather Anchor Mama